Gospel music: Historically, after black serfs in the United States accepted the Christian faith, they often prayed in the fields, hoping to reduce the pain of labor. It soon evolved into an impromptu musical performance. After the abolition of slavery, black people organized their own churches and used this form of music as a form of church activity. In the mid-20th century, Elvis Presley introduced gospel music to his style, which was later commercialized by Motown Records. In the late 1970s, gospel music gradually became popular and adopted pop music production and star-making methods to evolve into contemporary Christian music. Major gospel music artists are Aretha Franklin, the Winans Family, and Kirk Franklin.
Origin of genre: Christian hymns, black spirituals
Cultural origin: Early 20th century: United States
Typical instruments: vocals, piano, Hammond organ, guitar , Wind Instruments: Drums and Bass
Popularity: Global
Related Genres: Rhythm and Blues
Extended Genres: Urban Contemporary Gospel Southern Gospel
p>Fusion genre: Christian country music
GOSPEL MUSIC Gospel music
Excerpted from "European and American Popular Music Guide":
As a deprived culture Slaves and early African-American blacks believed that the church was the place where they could express and soothe their moods in new situations, and spread the simple theory of "reincarnation" through fables and singing, which made black churches extremely prosperous in the 19th century. In their early days, they spread Africanized Christian hymns orally, thereby transforming and forming the black spirit - harmonious gospel music.
Gospel music thrived, earning it a spot on the Billboard charts. The Puritan revival of the 19th century gave rise to hymns, which were still used primarily at religious gatherings. Later, black slaves in the South absorbed, modified, and created the hymns they now know. During this period, pictographic notes and "brush arbor" vocal schools had a profound impact on rural areas. In order to improve the level of singing in the church, people no longer point out the position of notes on the staff, but use different shapes to represent different tones to use notes rationally. This became the basis for reaching the level of singing according to the score. "Branches Pavilion" refers to a religious time activity, which is to open an open space and then plant a tree for outdoor religious singing activities. This tradition is alive and well in country music today. Like "The Old Rugged Gross", "Just a Closer Walk with Thee" and "I Saw the Light" by WILLIAMS, HANK ). In addition, there are some works by Thomas Dorsey, and these folk music were once popular. If these country musicians had not used elements of gospel music to create a large number of successful works, then there would be no gospel music today.
Fundamentally speaking, what really has a profound influence on modern pop music is black gospel music, and blues music often uses religious metaphors. Gary Davis was a Baptist minister, and most of his works had strong religious overtones; Blind Willie Johnson recorded for Columbia between 1927 and 1930 The Fisk Jubilee Singers (formed by a white teacher at Fisk University in 1867, this unique black choir sang in the Boston World Music Festival in 1872 It was a sensation at the Peace Celebration (the first time a black musical group took the stage at a major musical event in the United States). Soon black music was finally being performed for European aristocrats. Before the Civil War, black religious groups drew nourishment from the hymns of the white church and began to follow a complete path. Different development paths. Black Pentecostal churches, in order to attract more people to attend, encourage members to use musical instruments (especially percussion instruments) in their meetings.
The most important figure in black gospel music is W. Herbert Brewster. He made the music more varied in rhythm and made extensive use of human original voice changes for accompaniment. But the most important figure of that era was Dorsey. In 1916, around the time he moved to Chicago, he began to study music formally. An accomplished pianist, guitarist, singer and composer, Dorsey was once a non-religious. But soon his religious background conquered him, and he first coined the term "gospel songs" and then sold scores filled with so-called "ballet music." He was the first to use the piano to accompany religious songs outside churches and founded the first women's gospel quartet (early gospel singing groups were all male). In 1930, Dorsey became famous with his song "If You See My Savior" at the National Baptist Convention. In the same year, he established the Thomas A. Dorsey Gospel Music Publishing Company. Beginning in 1932, he and Sallie Martin discovered and cultivated Clara Ward and Mahalia Jackson. Founded the National Gospel Song and Dance Conference from 1932 to 1934, for which he continued to serve until the 1970s. In the 1960s and 1970s, Dorsey also served as the pastor of the Puritan Baptist Church in Chicago on a speaking tour. In 1976, he appeared on the BBC TV program The Devil's Music - A History of Blues Music. Dorsey composed approximately 1,000 songs during his lifetime and published half of them. These include "Peace in the Valley" and "Take My Hand Precious Lord," both written by Elvis Presley in 1957. Recording] and "Sweet Bye and Bye," among others. One of his most important initiatives was in 1936, when he prompted Sally and Roberta Martin to hold a singing competition at Dusable School, the first paid performance of gospel music in history. In 1938, Sister Roberta Tharpe sang gospel songs at the Cotton Club's Cab Calloway program, and that year, black gospel groups joined John Hammond's concerts, which included Sap.
The golden age of gospel music began in 1945. Many newly established independent music companies such as Apollo, King and Speciality specialized in publishing gospel songs. Radio stations also launched early morning gospel music programs, and there were special performances on Sunday nights. Performances and traveling gospel bands fill theaters, churches and celebrations. Gospel bands at that time usually had an infectious female singer singing in the front, with beautiful harmonies behind them, and the accompaniment instruments were usually only piano and organ. Starting in the 1940s, black gospel music had its own radio show. The best DJ at that time was Joe Boatic. He organized the first black gospel music show with Jackson at Carnegie Hall in 1950. and religious music festivals. In 1959, the event moved to Madison Square Garden and developed into the first annual Gospel, Spiritual and Country Music Festival. In the 1950s, gospel music frequently appeared on television programs. Jackson made his first appearance on Ed Sullivan's show. In 1957, the Ward Choir became the first gospel group to participate in the Newport Jazz Festival. Bessie Griffin brought gospel music to Bumps Blackwell's 1959 New Orleans cabaret "Portraits in Bronze." In 1961, the Ward Group entered nightclubs, and Jackson performed at President John F. Kennedy's inauguration. Since then, the Ward Group has earned a place in the city's music broadcast halls. Clara also starred in one of the first gospel musicals.
At this time, the trend of rock and roll has quietly emerged: white artists represented by Elvis Presley (ELVIS) and Jerry Lee Lewis (LEWIS, JERRY LEE) are deeply loved by southern blacks and white churches. That free-spirited style influence. Ray Charles Cole (CHARLES, RAY) no longer deliberately imitated NAT'KING'COLE, but turned to develop rhythm and blues music under the influence of the Baptist Church. He even directly absorbed Lots of gospel music tunes. There are also some rhythm and blues music artists who are more radical (such as: Little Richard and "Screaming" Jay Hawkins (HAWKINS, SCREAMIN'JAY)). Their style gradually became popular and they enthusiastically promoted "sex" ". Their actions of destroying holy things for no reason are undoubtedly shameful to believers. Of course, gospel music is still dominated by men. From 1945 onwards, gospel music records labeled Apollo, especially Peacock, King and Savoy labels became big business. Bands that published albums include the Dixie Hummingbirds and The Soul Stirrers. They were formed in 1935 and were the first five-member band. They used four vocals to accompany the lead singer and became the first band. first used guitar accompaniment), "The Swan Silvertones" (The Swan Silvertones), "The Gold-en Gate Jubilee Quartet" (The Gold-en Gate Jubilee Quartet, formed in 1939, "Stalin Wasn't Stalin" (Stalin Wasn't Stalin) is their wartime masterpieces], "The Staple Singers", and more. Girl groups include "The Southern Harps Spiritual Singers" who emerged with great players like Griffin, and singers/ The Original Cospel Harmonettes, fronted by songwriter and songwriter Dorothy Love Goates, have long been a favorite of rhythm and blues and doo-wop. "(Doo-Wop) music. The explosion of black soul music in the 1960s came directly from this. Aretha Franklin (FRANKLIN, ARETHA) was deeply influenced by Ward. Her first album was produced by her father. Completed in the church. The great Sam Cooke (COOKE, SAM) came from the "soul sensation". Before he devoted himself to pop music, he became an idol for boys and girls. In 1957, his gorgeous singing made "You Make" "You Send Me" reached the top of the charts, and this song also became a classic spiritual song. Archie Brownlee's passion moved James Brown (BROWN, JAMES), "Silver." The "tune" style is also subtly reflected in the "TEMPTATIONS" singing group. The true feelings of black gospel music have been forever integrated into the cultural current of modern pop music. In 1969, Edwin Hawkins The singing group (Edwin Hawkins Singers) is famous at home and abroad with the song "Oh, Happy Day". Most of the artists mentioned above and their works are in the "Religious and Hymns" of the American Schwann record catalog. , Hymns" column.
Since 1969, the Gospel Music Association will award the "Dove Awards" every year, which will award traditional and modern gospel music awards to whites and blacks respectively. . Gospel music finally gets its own Grammy.